Problem: Triangle $ABC^{}_{}$ has $AB=9^{}_{}$ and $BC: AC=40: 41^{}_{}$. What's the largest area that this triangle can have?
Explanation: Let $BC = 40x$ and $AC = 41x.$  By Triangle Inequality, $x$ must satisfy
\begin{align*}
9 + 40x &> 41x, \\
9 + 41x &> 40x, \\
40x + 41x &> 9.
\end{align*}The first inequality tells us $x < 9,$ the second inequality always holds, and the third inequality tells us $x > \frac{1}{9}.$

The semi-perimeter is $s = \frac{9 + 81x}{2},$ so by Heron's formula,
\begin{align*}
[ABC]^2 &= \frac{9 + 81x}{2} \cdot \frac{81x - 9}{2} \cdot \frac{9 + x}{2} \cdot \frac{9 - x}{2} \\
&= \frac{81}{16} (9x + 1)(9x - 1)(9 + x)(9 - x) \\
&= \frac{81}{16} (81x^2 - 1)(81 - x^2) \\
&= \frac{1}{16} (81x^2 - 1)(81^2 - 81x^2).
\end{align*}By AM-GM,
\[(81x^2 - 1)(81^2 - 81x^2) \le \left[ \frac{(81x^2 - 1) + (81^2 - 81x^2)}{2} \right]^2 = 3280^2,\]so
\[[ABC] \le \sqrt{\frac{3280^2}{16}} = 820.\]Equality occurs when $81x^2 - 1 = 81^2 - 81x^2,$ or $x^2 = \frac{3281}{81},$ so the maximum area is $\boxed{820}.$